SPAN® Edge: Turning Homes into Grid Assets

By Kshitiz Jain, Landis+Gyr and Alex Pratt, SPAN

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Electrification is accelerating. Solar, EVs, heat pumps, and batteries are flooding into homes, and utilities are racing to keep pace. The challenge? Many homes still run on 100-amp service, and just one EV charger can max them out. Traditionally, that triggers a utility-side service upgrade—$3,000–$10,000 in addition to behind-the-meter costs for panel upgrades paid for by the homeowner. Additionally, if a transformer or line extension is needed, total costs can climb well above $10,000, add months of delays, and leave an unhappy customer. These expenses are often split between the homeowner and the utility, depending on local grid conditions and policies. Multiply that across millions of homes, and electrification could stall for years.

Smart Electrification Without Expensive Upgrades

SPAN® Edge is a utility-grade Intelligent Service Point™ that installs at the meter to manage whole-home electrification—creating more connected load capacity within existing utility distribution infrastructure. It supports up to 200A service, can be installed with any standard meter, and orchestrates every circuit in real time. With SPAN PowerUp™ and the Firm Service Rating™ setpoint, homeowners can define priorities for appliances like EV chargers and HVAC, while utilities can reliably manage and shape local distribution peaks. The result is a win-win-win for homeowners, utilities, and regulators: grid-aware orchestration, more home electrification, and transformer-level load shaping from a solution that keeps rates low.

SPAN PowerUp™ also enables utilities to dispatch Dynamic Service Ratings™, which enforce load ceilings that reflect upstream physical or operational grid constraints, preventing overload conditions to defer transformer upgrades and cut peak demand. Both settings allow the homeowner to add more electrical loads while keeping the home safe; SPAN Edge meets the UL3141 standard for a power control system. These features take SPAN Edge beyond traditional Non-Wires Alternative (NWA) resources.

Cutting Service Upgrade Costs and Time

SPAN Edge hardware can be installed by a meter technician in under 15 minutes. Upon completing installation of SPAN Edge, that household is immediately empowered to install any new electric loads, removing barriers like a maxed-out electrical panel or insufficient service capacity headroom. Appliance installations, including labor, permitting, and local code requirements, are separate from SPAN Edge and are paid for by the homeowner as part of the typical appliance installation. SPAN Edge is faster and less expensive than traditional service upgrades, which often run $3,000–$10,000 or more. Homeowners gain the EV chargers and electrification they want—plus real-time visibility into energy use—while utilities scale faster and sell more kWh without increasing peak demand.

Why Landis+Gyr + SPAN = Smarter Grid Edge

Together, Landis+Gyr and SPAN deliver a full-stack solution: Landis+Gyr provides revenue-grade metering, AMI communications, and back-office integration paired with SPAN circuit-level control, electrification enablement, and consumer engagement via its app.

Key solution features include:

Dynamic Service Ratings across homes and feeders
Revenue-grade submetering for DER-specific TOU rates
Whole-home DER aggregation for EVs, PV, batteries, heat pumps, and water heaters
Dynamic operating envelopes with real-time grid visibility

SPAN delivers a 4.41 benefit-cost ratio under moderate electrification and 50% adoption—net benefits of $9,228 per panel. That’s real operational and economic value.

Real Utility Adoption in Action

A leading western IOU is preparing to deploy SPAN Edge to manage a surge in EVs, heat pumps, and appliance conversions—most on 100A service. Instead of expensive upgrades, they will:

Avoid Costly Upgrades: Offer SPAN Edge as a faster, lower-cost alternative.
Shape Load Growth: Target feeders and transformers with rising demand.
Deploy NWAs: Default customers to SPAN Edge in areas where upgrades would be costly.

SPAN Edge isn’t just a smarter panel with a meter—it’s a platform for flexibility that transforms every home into a controllable grid asset ready for DERs, demand response, and dynamic service ratings. Paired with Landis+Gyr’s proven infrastructure, it delivers scalability, reliability, and new value at the grid edge.

Let’s connect:

Marcelo Sandoval
Director Advanced Grid Solutions, Landis+Gyr
marcelo.sandoval@landisgyr.com | Connect on LinkedIn

Alex Pratt
VP, Business Development, SPAN
alex.pratt@span.io | Connect on LinkedIn